The biggest reason why anyone would visit the little Karoo dorpie of Sutherland lies 18 km outside the village in the direction of Fraserburg.
On this arid hilltop you'll find the largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere – SALT (Southern African Large Telescope). With zero light pollution and cloudless night skies, these enormous telescopes...

Here you can experience what most people come to Sutherland for - stargazing. Just 1 km outside Sutherland you will find the Sterland Caravan Park where the local amateur 'star' aficionado, Jurg, will delight you with a celestial show. Regular sessions are presented throughout the year, even on the coldest nights.
The sessions are kicked off...

We are very proud to present the Louw-Museum in Sutherland, home of both NP van Wyk Louw and WEG Louw.
NP van Wyk Louw, born on 11 June 1906 in Sutherland, was an Afrikaans-language poet, playwright, and scholar. He is the older brother of Afrikaans-language poet W.E.G. He viewed the Afrikaans language as a bridge that connects Europe with...

Keen to hear the stars sing and feel the earth spin? If you need to get your mojo back with a quiet escape in wide-open spaces then pack your vehicle and head to the Tankwa Karoo National Park for a weekend. Just a four-hour drive from Cape Town brings you to this unique National Park situated within the Succulent Karoo Biome.Here you can spot...

The Akkerendam Nature Reserve was established in 1967 and is situated just outside of Calvinia. The reserve is 2750 hectares in size and incorporates the majestic Hantam Mountain.
There is a wide variety of flora and fauna to see, including sword lilies, Cape asters, and brown peppering plants. The reserve is also a proclaimed bird sanctuary...

The Gannaga Pass is one of those passes that you should simply do at least once in your life. This is a driving experience that you'll never forget.
At the summit (1600 m above sea level) you'll feel like you've arrived at a place of peace. The Gannaga Pass connects the Ceres Karoo farms and villages atop the Roggeveld Plato. Most of the pass...

Blesfontein is probably the darkest farm in the whole of Sutherland district. We have a lot less light pollution than Sutherland itself. At night we take out our visitors to do star gazing in our Amateur Observatory. We have several powerful telescopes to watch stars at night and we also offer sun viewing by means of our sun filter telescope.

See beautiful dolorite rock formations, the “maalvleisklip" (minced meat stone), rich floras and fauna – a paradise for botanists. There is a large population of dassies (rock hyrax) that attract predators such as black eagle. Jackal, various cats, antelope, porcupines, hares, baboon, tortoises and a variety of birds can be seen. Lichens appear...

The Forgotten Highway formed part of the old route to the North and was used by explorers such as Burchell and Lichtenstein.
The route to the North played a cardinal role in the development of Ceres as a village. The route ran through Ceres and many transport riders, miners, mail coaches passed through the village and provided the boost for...

De Postjes 4x4 Trail extends over five farms and travels over the Mail Coach Pass. The trail is quite long and so it is recommended that at least a three-quarter tank of fuel is available before you start the trip.
The 5 to 45 km trail takes 1 to 4 hours to complete and has a difficult grading of 4 to 5. The self-drive route requires a 4x4 – or...

The Skietfontein hiking trail is an eight-kilometre walk along the riverbank of the Skietfontein settlement. The walk starts at the antique shop on Church Street in Carnarvon and passes by a spring, a graveyard, and the U.R. Church.
The trail will take you through the Karoo veld and the Karoo bossies, with magnificent views of the Karoo...

Carnarvon Museum was built in 1907 as a community hall for the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1973 it was donated to the municipality and turned into a museum.
The museum exhibits the cultural history of Carnarvon, which is located in the Northern Cape Province. There are a variety of antiques on display, an old hearse that belonged to the Dutch...

Things to do near
Hantam Karoo

*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling
distance.

Situated off the N7, north of Vanrhynsdorp, the Knersvlakte Spens Nursery and Farm shop extends a warm welcome to travellers.
Here you can purchase indigenous succulents endemic to the Knersvlakte region from the nursery. The farm shop is loaded with traditional fare; shelves are well stocked with jams, preserves, springbok biltong, sticky sweet...

The Akkerendam Nature Reserve was established in 1967 and is situated just outside of Calvinia. The reserve is 2750 hectares in size and incorporates the majestic Hantam Mountain.
There is a wide variety of flora and fauna to see, including sword lilies, Cape asters, and brown peppering plants. The reserve is also a proclaimed bird sanctuary...

This route is in the Maskam Mountain with stunning views of the valley.
The route itself is very challenging; you'll need skills and a real 4 x 4 vehicle to enjoy this ride. There are also braai facilities high up in the mountain. This is a very enjoyable and adventurous family outing.

The railway bridge crossing the N7 which is crossing the Sout River. The river is dry for most of the year, but has been known to flood almost to the level of the road.
Occasionally you will catch the exceptionally long freight trains that travel the line over the road.